I could never stay long enough on the shore, the tang of the untainted, fresh and free sea air was like a cool, quieting thought.
Helen Keller
(1880-1968)
Spending my week here... in one of those seafront apartments, visiting one of my lovely aunts. The apartment is up high and has a view like a living painting - ever-changing and absolutely beautiful. But even more amazing is what's inside the apartment.
My aunt is someone who fills some of my earliest, and some of my most recent, creative memories. She is an artist and a nurturer of artistic spirit: a skilled and experienced educator who has always valued and made time for creative pursuits and encouraged her daughters and nieces to do the same. Over the years she's supported our dreams, honoured our achievements, helped us stitch up the pieces of our broken hearts, and believed in us even when we were unable to believe in ourselves. And always, no matter what, art's been the way we've processed the stuff we're working through together. Art as therapy. Art as celebration. Art as soulfood. Art for pleasure and art for pain. No emotion or medium has been unexplored.
These days she expresses herself by creating the most amazing quilts; quilts that tell personal stories and are exquisite artworks wrought in fabric, designed with talent and sewn with love. And she does it here, in this apartment overlooking the bay. The place is a jewel-box of beautiful fabrics, works in progress, inspirational materials and creative energy. I love it. And I love spending time there, with her.
It's going to be a good week.
[photographs taken by my sister on a recent drive around the coast]
My aunt is someone who fills some of my earliest, and some of my most recent, creative memories. She is an artist and a nurturer of artistic spirit: a skilled and experienced educator who has always valued and made time for creative pursuits and encouraged her daughters and nieces to do the same. Over the years she's supported our dreams, honoured our achievements, helped us stitch up the pieces of our broken hearts, and believed in us even when we were unable to believe in ourselves. And always, no matter what, art's been the way we've processed the stuff we're working through together. Art as therapy. Art as celebration. Art as soulfood. Art for pleasure and art for pain. No emotion or medium has been unexplored.
These days she expresses herself by creating the most amazing quilts; quilts that tell personal stories and are exquisite artworks wrought in fabric, designed with talent and sewn with love. And she does it here, in this apartment overlooking the bay. The place is a jewel-box of beautiful fabrics, works in progress, inspirational materials and creative energy. I love it. And I love spending time there, with her.
It's going to be a good week.
[photographs taken by my sister on a recent drive around the coast]
.jpg)
.jpg)
2 comments:
I would love to see some of her art if possible. sounds really interesting. Hope you had a great time together.
Lovely!! Enjoy. ;)
Post a Comment